Apple to Begin Production of 12-Inch Macbook Air Soon

If you look at today’s crop of Macbook Airs and think to yourself, “nope, still not skinny enough,” you may soon be in luck. A new report from Digitimes today claims that Apple will soon begin production on a new version of its Macbook Air laptop: an ultra-slim refresh of the computer with a 12-inch display.

According to the report, Apple will start mass production of the new Macbook Air in the first quarter of 2015, and will feature Intel’s new Broadwell processor, which was released just this past November. You may remember that Apple refreshed its Macbook Air product line not too long ago with Intel’s new efficient, and less expensive, Haswell processor. The Boradwell Core M, reports Macrumors, is “ultra low power,” meaning that this new rumored version of the Macbook Air will be even more powerful and efficient in a thinner chassis.

The Digitimes report also notes that supply may be limited at first because of “low yield rates” in terms of production. But those kinks are being worked out, and if that happens, Apple should have a good supply of units ready to go when the new Macbook Air goes on sale – possibly around the summer time to coincide with WWDC in June. Meanwhile, Macrumors claims that the new Macbook Air will also be offered in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray color options, echoing the color schemes Apple has been offering with its iPad line of devices recently.

Based on this information, added in with the rumors we’ve heard about a larger sized iPad Pro, is it crazy to suggest that the new Macbook Air and the iPad Pro are actually the same device? Chances are this isn’t the case, if only because we’ve heard separate rumors about both devices. But still, considering how Microsoft has hammered the Macbook and its lack of touchscreen in its Surface Pro 3 ads, I can see how Apple might want to provide customers with an ultra-thin, high performance tablet that can also perform as a full laptop. If Apple isn’t planning on combining the Macbook Air and the rumored iPad Pro, maybe it should consider the idea…

[Sources: Macrumors, Digitimes]